Darlington County Arrest Records

Law enforcement agencies generally make arrests in Darlington County. Per Section 17-13-30, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in South Carolina have the authority to make warrantless arrests of anyone they believe violates any of the state's criminal statutes, provided that the arrest is made at the scene of the crime or immediately after.

Darlington County inmates who are awaiting trial or serving a 90-day or less sentence are typically held in the county's Detention Center.

The Darlington County Sheriff's Office, along with other local law enforcement agencies and police departments, are chiefly responsible for generating arrest records within the county.

Arrest records may also be included in public records maintained by other public agencies, such as Darlington County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Darlington County?

Yes. The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, which is a set of legislation created to ensure that the public can access the public records of governmental entities in the state, declares that anyone may obtain public records. A statement of purpose is not required. Furthermore, SECTION 30-4-30(A) of the South Carolina Code of Laws states that an individual has the right to inspect, copy, or obtain an electronic transmission of any public record of a public body following reasonable rules concerning time and place of access.

However, some records are exempt from public inspection and restricted from public access. Under Section 30-4-40(3), the following information in arrest records, which may typically be exempt from public view, includes:

• Documents related to pending investigations
• Records whose disclosure might lead to an unjustified invasion of privacy
• Documents that may endanger someone's life or physical safety
• Documents that will compromise the identification of informants
• Certain confidential attorney communications
• Information relating to security plans

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The following information in a Darlington County arrest record may be viewed and obtained by the public

• Full name of the arrestee
• Arrest number
• Race, sex, eye color of the arrestee
• Height and weight of the arrestee
• Arrestee's date of birth
• Offense date
• Current status of arrestee
• Admission/ booking date
• Admission time
• Arresting agency
• Confining agency
• Charge
• Bond and bond type
• Charging agency
• Mugshots of the arrestee

Darlington County Arrest Statistics

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) provides arrest statistics for counties within the state in its annual crime statistics publication. According to the agency's report, Darlington County reported a total of 2,659 arrests in 2023, which indicated a 1.0% drop from arrests made in 2022 at 2,686. Having the highest number of arrests, there were 628 and 640 arrests made for Drug law violations in 2022 and 2023, respectively, indicating a 1.9% increase. Larceny and theft reported a 22.3% decline in arrests from 2022 to 2023, with 328 and 255, respectively. 252 and 284 arrests were made for all other offenses in 2022 and 2023 respectively, indicating a 12.7% increase.

Simple assault, driving under the influence, and weapons law violation all had 193, 225, and 174 arrests carried out in 2023. 116 arrests were made for liquor law violations, with 107 and 80 arrests made for aggravated assault and trespass of real property, respectively.

Find Darlington County Arrest Records

The Darlington County Sheriff's Office, along with the local police departments, is responsible for carrying out arrests within the county. Interested persons may contact any of these agencies to find an arrest record. Depending on the agency, requests may be made in person, via mail, or online. To conduct an arrest record search, requesters may need to provide certain information such as the full name, date of birth, and location or date where the incident took place.

Furthermore, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division provides citizens of the state with criminal history search services. Interested persons may contact the SLED for arrest records. Arrest records provided by this agency also include details regarding an offender's conviction history. Requesters may search for the following

• Citizens Access to Criminal Histories (CATCH): This is an online database maintained by the SLED that permits members of the public to conduct a name-based criminal history record search. To retrieve a result, SLED CATCH requires a precise match between the subject's last name, first initial, and date of birth. A social security number may also be used to search if provided.
• Mail: SLED also accepts requests for criminal records checks by mail. To request a record via mail, the Criminal Records Check Form, proper payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) may be mailed to

SLED Records Department
P.O. Box 21398
Columbia SC 29221-1398

If the criminal records check is required to be notarized or certified, one must specifically indicate that the results must be notarized and/or certified.

There is a $25.00 non-refundable fee for a criminal history check in South Carolina. Most major credit/debit cards are accepted. Online background checks are subject to an extra $1.00 convenience cost. Mail-in requests are exempt from the convenience fee. National criminal records checks and fingerprint-based background checks are allowed only where required or specifically authorized by law.

The Bureau of Prisons' Federal Inmate Locator online search tool is available to anyone looking for arrest information for criminals who have been taken into custody by the FBI. Searches of inmates may be done by BOP register number or by name.

Free Arrest Record Search in Darlington County

The Darlington County Detention Center maintains an updated inmate list. Members of the public may obtain free information about those who have been arrested and are currently incarcerated, such as their current status, the amount of their bail, and the times they are permitted to have visitors, is available. Inmates are listed alphabetically by last name, and if a requestor provides a full name, date of birth, or arrest number, it will be easy to locate the inmate's arrest information.

The County Sheriff's Office also provides the general public with an Inmate Lookup page online. This service provides information on current bookings made by the Sheriff's Office. Members of the public may look up arrestees via this service at no cost.

Furthermore, a person can utilize third-party websites to conduct a free search online for arrest records. Usually, simple searches can be made for free by providing a suspect's first and last name. One must take into account, however, that the level of detail and precision of records received from these sites may vary.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

The time range for retaining original arrest records in South Carolina may vary depending on criteria such as the type of crime and agency rules. The General Records Retention Schedules for County Records and Article 5 of the S.C. Code of Regulation Chapter 12 provide retention time frames for certain criminal and arrest records. They include

• Criminal history records: Information may include the cumulative original history of any subject arrested for a crime by the Sheriff’s department. Records may be retained Until the death of the subject or 75 years, whichever comes first, then destroyed
• Juvenile booking records: Documents concerning juveniles arrested and booked by county law enforcement may be retained for 3 years after the subject reaches majority. After which they may be destroyed
• Booking reports: This includes the record of all persons arrested and booked by the Sheriff’s office. Files may be retained for 10 years and then destroyed.
• Arrest cards: The Card system which serves as a record of arrests in the sheriff’s department may be retained for 5 years and then destroyed
• Fingerprint Files: This includes the records of fingerprints of persons arrested by the sheriff’s department, utilized for investigative and identification purposes. Information may be retained until notification of the death of the subject or 75 years, whichever comes first, then destroyed.
• Mug Shots: These Photographs of individuals who have been arrested and charged with various criminal offenses are used by law enforcement personnel, victims, and witnesses to aid in the identification of suspects. They may be retained until they are superseded or of no further value, then destroyed.

Expunge Darlington County Arrest Records

An expungement, also known as an order for destruction of arrest records, is a court order that removes criminal arrests/dispositions from the record of an individual. The South Carolina Code of Laws states that a criminal record can only be expunged by a court application that is signed by a judge.

Anyone who wishes to expunge a Darlington County arrest record may submit an expungement application to the Fourth Circuit Solicitor's Office for processing and review. Requesters may apply online or visit any of the Fourth Circuit Solicitor’s office locations to apply online. Listed below are the offenses or situations where records of arrests or convictions can be expunged

• Dismissal or non-conviction of offense
• Successful completion of the pretrial intervention program
• Successful completion of the traffic education program
• Successful completion of the alcohol education program
• First-offense drug conviction
• Fraudulent check
• Conditional discharge
• Magistrate/Municipal Court
• Youthful offender act
• Failure to stop for a blue light
• Juvenile expungements

The applicant seeking an expungement is responsible for payment to the Solicitor’s Office of an administrative non-refundable fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per individual order. Payments can be made online, in person by debit or credit card, and by calling (843) 306-8085.

Darlington County Arrest Warrants

According to §40-18-110 of the South Carolina Legislature, an arrest warrant is a legal document that gives law enforcement officials the authority to hold and investigate an individual for a criminal offense. Arrest warrants in Darlington County may only be issued by a judge or a magistrate. An arrest warrant is issued when the magistrate has determined that there is probable cause that the underlying offense was committed. The magistrate may direct the arrest warrant to the county sheriff or a special constable, ordering the defendant to be taken into custody and brought before the magistrate so that the law can be followed. The following information may be observed in an official arrest warrant

• A statement of the accusations leveled against the suspect
• Name of the issuing officer
• The location, time, and date of the trial
• Contact information of the defendant
• The incident's location and date

Do Darlington County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. According to the General Records Retention Schedules for County Records, an arrest warrant document is retained until a copy of the warrant is served, and the original is then forwarded to the issuing official.